Other UNI Calendars

Philosophy and Religion

Michael Graziano, philosophy and world religions, will present "Spying on the Pope: The Religious Roots of the CIA." What does religion have to do with spycraft? During World War II, American spies focused on religious ideas and institutions, and the results helped shape the nature of the CIA that was created after the war, providing lessons for how the U.S. government thinks about religion and national security today.

Abbylynn Helgevold, philosophy and world religions, will present a lecture title "Old" Feminism, "New" Feminism and Religion. She will discuss religion's role in shaping conceptions of women's empowerment and dignity through examining the "new" feminism being developed within and supported by the Catholic Church; explore the connection between this form of feminism and ideas about masculinity and femininity; and discuss the role of women's particular reproductive capacities in shaping the ethical vision advanced by the movement.

Andrew Hartman, associate professor of history at Illinois State University, will present "The Culture Wars: The New Left and the Rise of the Neoconservatives in America." Hartman will discuss how the radical political mobilizations of the 1960s gave rise to a group of reactionaries who came to be called "neoconservatives." Contact Jerry Soneson at soneson@uni.edu or 273-6221 for more information.

Bill Clohesy, professor of philosophy, will present “’We the People’: Trust in Public Discourse.” Freedom of religion and secular government are inseparable in the American republic. This talk explores the Constitution’s secular promise of respect for both politics and religion—if we choose to accept it. Today, numerous opponents would undo both secular republican government and respect for religious diversity. Our greatest defense is still to practice politics as the exchange of opinion upon which all true government rests. For more information, contact Martha Reineke at martha.reineke@uni.edu.

Cara Burnidge, assistant professor of religion, will present “Islam in Iowa: An American Story.” This lecture will tell the story of Islam in America, giving special attention to Islam in Iowa. Like many native and naturalized citizens, Muslims around the world viewed the United States as a place of opportunity and freedom from religious persecution. Iowa, in particular, provided such opportunities for Muslim immigrants, which is why it is home to the oldest mosque in the United States, the Mother Mosque of America in Cedar Rapids. For more information, contact Martha Reineke at martha.reineke@uni.edu.

John Burnight, assistant professor of religion, will present "Abraham, Moses and Jesus: The Heritage of the Bible in the Qu'ran." His presentation will examine a number of the Qur’anic passages discussing these and several other biblical figures, highlighting the important role that each plays in Islam. This is the first in a three-lecture series sponsored by the Department of Philosophy and World Religions on the topic "Islam and Iowa Politics." For more information, contact Martha Reineke at Reineke@uni.edu.

Nick Baima, a graduate from the Department of Philosophy and World Religions and who will receive a Ph.D. in philosophy from Washingnton University in St. Louis in May, will present, "Death, Love, and the Truth: Reflections From Plato's Phaedo." Following a suggestion by Plato in The Phaedo, Baima will argue that it is a constitutive feature of love that we not only believe positive things about our beloved, but that it is good that we do so, even if those things are not true in the strict sense of the term, "truth."

Abby Helgevold, department of philosophy and world religions, will present a lecture titled "Good Sex: It's About More Than Just Pleasure." Is bad sex better than no sex at all? Are all forms of "good" sex in fact "good?" This lecture will explore what it means to think ethically about our sexual lives by discussing the question, "what does it mean to have good sex?"